KARACHI:
Pakistan is separated from Afghanistan by the Durand Line, which is an internationally accepted border. Both governments had adopted an open border policy that allowed free movement of people from both sides. However, the 9/11 incident and the subsequent War of Terror changed the circumstances and called for a drastic decision to fence the border.
According to recent reports, 90% of the border has been fenced and the remaining part will be completed early next year. The fencing began in 2017 following the APS attack. Other measures like check-posts, border security forces, surveillance cameras, and border forts were also introduced. The main purpose of the fencing project was to improve security and prevent free movement of terrorists across the border. There has been a significant reduction in the smuggling of illegal weapons and drugs since then. Now, with the evacuation of the US and Nato troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban are getting stronger and it is anticipated that they will continue to gain power in the war-torn region. This is worsening the social, economic, and political stability of Afghanistan. As a result, people want to escape. Not many know that the highest number of refugees across the world is from Afghanistan. The US introduced a special immigration policy for the people who helped them, but it is not sufficient since more than 3 million Afghans want political asylum while more than 4 million are already scattered throughout the world — 3 million of which are in Pakistan.
It seems that the situation and in turn the refugee crisis will further intensify, adding to the burden on our resources and our economy. We are already paying the price of the refugees who came to Pakistan but never returned. Hopefully, the border fence and other steps will save Pakistan from this situation.
Tariq Mahmood Khan
Faisalabad
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2021.
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